Page 115 of A Dose of Agony
“No.” Again his voice is barely more than a growl. The claws on his feet are leaving divots in the marble flooring. I’m sure Ms. Bhatt will be pleased about that. “I cannot leave you, not after that.” He stops his pacing, sucking in deep breaths. “I will call Laithe back here. Once they’re here, I will travel back to Oriziah to see that everything is settled.”
“Okay,” I whisper, holding my arms crossed tightly. My teeth begin chattering.
They don’t want me. They don’t want me to be their princess.
Those are the thoughts I can’t help from piling up.
Liz is the more powerful one now. She’s the kind of princess his world wants.
Sharp fangs appear before my face, and I suck in a breath. “You are more than worthy,” Jarron tells me, not for the first time. Then, he wraps his arms around me. His rage has retreated, replaced instead with a coat of adoration and protection he throws around me. “They will not take you from me. Not now. Not ever. Together, we will prove them to be fools for doubting you and me both.”
49
Brewing Death
It’s honestly bizarre how I can feel Jarron’s emotions even when we’re countless miles apart. Light years? I don’t even know how to measure that kind of time and space. Oriziah is a planet whose solar system and galaxy have not been found from Earth. Meaning, for all we know, it’s a literal other dimension. There is no measurable distance between us.
It could be another plane of existence that should not connect to ours, and yet, from here to there, I can feel him. His power. His devotion. His frustration. His longing.
I can’t get enough context of what is happening in his world, but I can feel the swings of his emotions. He is bored as hell. He is delighted. He is amused. He is stressed. He is tired. He is annoyed. And then, beneath the surface, there is always an uncurrent of missing me and worry for upcoming events.
It’s strange to feel those things all the time, mingling with my own emotions, but not be able to do anything about it. I want to tell him to sleep, but I haven’t managed to learn how to send an actual message through our link while we’re apart.
In two days, we will try again, this time with an official tribunal. The Bright Tribunal, made up of three witches, one from each of the spiritual species of Oriziah, will decide whether they believe Jarron’s claim.
They will decide my entire future—and Oriziah’s— based on something there is no way to definitively prove.
Meanwhile, I’m working on the same potions I hoped would serve to kill nine powerful supernatural beings all at once to save my sister.
My stomach tenses. I hate that I’ve given up that chance. I hate that things in Oriziah are getting worse and there’s nothing I can do about it.
So, while I stir my delayed death potion to excellence, ensure it is as powerful as I can possibly make it, I image the nine faces I long to kill, even while knowing and deeply regretting that I will not get the chance.
Two days until the tribunal that Jarron believes will resolve the bulk of his war.
Four days until the Cosmic Council meeting, where I could kill my greatest enemies all in one shot and suck out the fuel driving Jarron’s war.
Not one part of me is convinced ignoring that chance is the right move.
But every part of me is certain I need to trust Jarron.
I haven’t given up on the possibility of having both, but for now, I will follow the rules I agreed to and ensure that, just in case, my death potion is nothing short of perfect.
50
Only The Beginning
Alien clicking makes my heart race and eyes fly wide open in the darkness of the bedroom. This time, though, I can feel him. His eagerness, his uncertainty about what happens later today, and his contentment at watching me sleep in his bed.
“Not sleeping anymore,” he purrs.
“No,” I agree.
His wings ruffle behind him, and he stalks forward, head bowed and eyes intent.
I pull back the bedspread. I don’t even have to say the words for him to know exactly what I want. He shifts into his human form and slides beneath the sheets. Safely tucked in his arms, I sigh in relief.
His warmth is the most comfort I’ve ever felt.
